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After coming back into circulation last year courtesy of a new label home and a Record Store Day reissue, CD fans can rejoice at the news that Yep Roc's new expanded edition of Marshall Crenshaw's self-titled debut will get a wider release on disc on February 17.
Back in September, Yep Roc announced a double LP expanded edition of Crenshaw's hook-filled debut album for Record Store Day Black Friday. In addition to the classic album, featuring the Top 40 hit "Someday, Someway" and a host of great cuts like "There She Goes Again," "Cynical Girl" and others, it featured newly redesigned artwork plus seven bonus tracks for hardcore fans, including a brace of four-track early versions of songs from the album recorded between 1980 and 1981. (Of those tracks, five make their debut on this expanded edition.)
The timing couldn't be better: several of Crenshaw's classic albums, recorded in the '80s for Warner Bros. Records, have fallen out of circulation as the singer/songwriter has successfully claimed the copyright from his old label. Marshall Crenshaw, Field Day (1983), Downtown (1985) and Mary Jane & 9 Others (1987) are all digitally unavailable, as is Thank You, Rock Fans!!, a 1982 concert issued on vinyl by Warner's Run Out Groove in 2017. (When not keeping busy on other current projects, from a long-gestating documentary on legendary record producer Tom Wilson to tour dates on his own and with The Smithereens (following the passing of original frontman Pat DiNizio), Crenshaw has revisited some of his back catalogue, including an expanded reissue of 1999's Miracle of Science and a curated vintage live collection.)
The website Rock NYC confirmed some of Crenshaw and Yep Roc's plans for his Warner albums: Field Day is slated to get a similar reissue for its 40th anniversary in 2023. (Intervention Records issued an expanded vinyl edition of that album in 2017 that included the original US Remix EP.) For now, the newly-expanded Marshall Crenshaw is going to be easier than checking Discogs to find - and if you've somehow missed this album in the last 40 years, trust us that you'll want to make up for lost time.
The track list for Yep Roc's expansion of Crenshaw's debut is below, along with pre-order links. (Next Friday is the first Bandcamp Friday of the year; if you pre-order the album from there on that day, Crenshaw and Yep Roc get the portion of sales revenue that would normally go to the platform.) The album will be available once more on February 17.
Marshall Crenshaw (40th Anniversary Expanded Edition) (Yep Roc YEP-3027, 2022) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Bandcamp)
* previously unreleased
- There She Goes Again
- Someday, Someway
- Girls...
- I'd Do Anything
- Rockin' Around in N.Y.C.
- The Usual Thing
- She Can't Dance
- Cynical Girl
- Mary Anne
- Soldier of Love
- Not for Me
- Brand New Lover
- Look What I Almost Missed (Live) *
- Brand New Lover (Alternate)
- Something's Gonna Happen
- (You're My) Favorite Waste of Time (4-Track Home Recording) *
- Just Not for Me (4-Track Home Recording) *
- Someday, Someway (4-Track Home Recording) *
- Mary Anne (4-Track Home Recording) *
Tracks 1-12 released as Warner Bros. BSK 3673, 1982)
Track 14 released on expanded edition CD - Warner Archives/Rhino R2 79916, 2000
Track 15 released on Shake Records single SHK-104, 1981
Release Round-Up: Week of July 14
Release Round-Up: Week of February 17
The Weekend Stream: November 26, 2022
I have the 2000 expanded Warner reissue on CD...have to compare tracklistings...but it's cool that Yep Roc seems to be reissuing more than just the debut...yep Marshall Crenshaw is great...
I don’t think the bonus material here is as good as my Rhino CD, but for anyone who doesn’t already have this, it is a spectacular first album.
Is there supposed to be any remastering done?
Small correction: it is Track 13 that appeared on the Rhino release, not Track 14.
I also strongly suspect that Track 16 is the same recording previously released on the 1998 Razor & Tie release "The 9-Volt Years: Battery Powered Home Demos & Curios (1979-198?)."
One more correction:
As reflected in the Bandcamp link (and consistent with the 2022 vinyl release), Track 18 is "Never Gonna Happen Again," not a home demo of "Someday Someway." I doubt that a home demo of "Someday Someway" exists, given that a studio demo of that song was the only studio recording included on Marshall's "9-Volt Years" demo collection.
Ordered! I'm so happy to be getting this and BEYOND OVERJOYED that Field Day will be following close behind. I saw Marshall in the summer of in June of 1983 with that trio made of up of his brother Robert on drums, Chris Donato on bass, and Marshall. It was at this outdoor shed, Songbird Center, that was tucked away in rural Ohio and ended up having only a two year lifespan. Get this, the lineup was Marshall, The Tubes, and Hall & Oates. The show started late in the morning, it was already muggy, and Marshall came on the stage, immediately announced that they wanted to play a full show for us, but that he'd been sternly instructed that they couldn't go past 30 minutes. They then tore through the most amazing set of songs --all of it made up of songs from his debut and Field Day-- and their harmonies were glorious. It sounded like there were a dozen voices up there. Anyway, during the final song, Marshall glanced at his watch, turned to Robert, and they cut the song at exactly the 30 minute mark. I'll never forget it.
Also, the Tubes did their show without the aid of any of their theatrical elements and absolutely kicked ass.